As I Lay Me Down
by PaceysLilMcPhee
Summary: The aliens leave and the humans have to deal, including Maria. Set right after Alex's death, therefore before Departure. Mainly M/M but in general, most C/C will appear.
1. Chapter 1

Title: As I Lay Me Down  
  
Author: Lauren  
  
Author Email: PaceysLilMcPhee@aol.com  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Pairing: M/M mainly, but all C/C  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell and I'm not affiliated with any of the actors. Although I do wish I knew Brendan Fehr…  
  
Summary: The aliens leave and the humans have to deal, including Maria.  
  
Author's Note: Hi everyone :o) Thanks for taking the time to read the first chapter of my second Roswell fic. My first one is titled "Bruises" and I'm still working on it. Don't worry, I'm still updating. I just was looking through a notebook where I keep some song lyrics I really love and I was inspired. So…out popped this fic! I hope you all enjoy. All feedback is welcomed. If you have any ideas about where you want this story to go, you can tell me that too! I welcome almost anything! Just don't bash the couples I chose or anything, that doesn't have anything to do with my writing. If you'd like to put this on your page, or somewhere else, just email me and let me know where it is. Thanks!  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 1  
  
  
  
  
  
Yesterday, he left. Michael, that is. Michael, Max, Isabel, and Tess. They had found a way home, to their planet. And then they announced they were leaving the next day. Well, not they. Michael told me, alone, the day before they left. But I guess it's best to start from the beginning.  
  
Max and Tess had been out in the desert together, around the crash site this one day in early February. The gist of it is, they stumbled upon this guy, and this guy knew how to get them home.  
  
  
  
Max tore into the parking lot of the Crashdown with Tess in the passenger seat next to him. As soon as he hit the brake and grabbed the keys out of the ignition, they jumped down onto the ground and ran into the restaurant. Max led the way towards Michael and Isabel who were both drinking a Coke in their usual booth. He stood before them at the end of the table and announced, "We've got to talk."  
  
"So talk," Michael said grabbing the Tabasco sauce and adding it to the fries he had just ordered.  
  
Max narrowed his eyes at Michael and responded, "Not here."  
  
Isabel and Michael looked at each other before they each turned their heads towards Max, and Tess who stood behind him. Isabel shrugged and stood up, turning to look at Michael. He followed in suite and then they all walked out to the Jeep together.  
  
Max sped along the highway with Tess yet again in the passenger seat next to him and Michael and Isabel behind them in the back. Max checked the rearview mirror to be sure that no one was following them and then started driving directly to the place where this guy had told him and Tess to meet him.  
  
"What's going on?" Isabel asked, being the first to speak up since they had left the Crashdown.  
  
Tess glanced at Max who glanced back. Then she turned in her seat to face Michael and Isabel. "We're almost positive we found someone who knows how to get us home."  
  
Isabel froze. "Home, home? Our home, up there?" she questioned, surprised.  
  
Tess nodded. "Yeah, that's what we mean."  
  
"And who's this guy?" Isabel asked.  
  
"Well, Max and I have met him, he was following us earlier. The short version is, he knew who we were, he can get us home, and he told us to meet him here, with the two of you." Tess responded.  
  
Asking yet another question, Isabel asked, "So we're going home?"  
  
Tess nodded again as Isabel leaned back in her seat, her eyes wide.  
  
Michael hadn't said anything the whole drive but he finally spoke up. "So, we're leaving then?"  
  
Max responded to Michael. "Yeah, after all, this is what we've been searching for. What you've been searching for," he added. He was a little surprised; Michael seemed almost wary of the idea of going home. He had never been before; in fact in the past he had been the one that was the most focused on finding a way home. Of course, things had changed since then. Max glanced at Michael in the rearview mirror. Things hadn't changed that much. Michael had always been one to hide his feelings and was good at putting up a front. That's probably all this was.  
  
When they arrived, Max parked the Jeep and they all jumped out. Max led the way to the spot where the man had said to meet him, with the other three following not far behind.  
  
"So? Where is he?" Michael asked as he turned in circles to survey the area.  
  
"I am here," a voice said. A man appeared – and he seemed to appear almost out of nowhere – dressed in a long brown coat. The coat was worn; it looked old and had aged over the years. It was heavy and didn't seem to compliment the light, brown sandals he also wore. It appeared he was also attired in black pants but the coat was so long, it reached the ground so it was hard to tell. Max seemed to recognize him but Isabel and particularly Michael, seemed wary. The man must have noticed and spoke yet again.  
  
"I am here. Here to help you."  
  
"How do we know you can help get us home?" Michael questioned with a look of scorn.  
  
"I am just to be trusted," the coat-clad man responded.  
  
Isabel glanced at Tess and then Max. Max looked back at Isabel and they held a gaze for a moment. She then turned towards the man and with a nod told him, "I'll trust you."  
  
Michael looked at Isabel with disbelief. "Isabel!" he hissed, "You don't know anything about him!"  
  
Isabel turned towards Michael and replied, "I'm going to trust Max on this one." Michael turned his head away but she continued. "We have to trust Max, Michael."  
  
Michael sighed. He didn't understand how Isabel could accept this man's words. He knew she was still upset over Alex's death, probably more prepared to go home then ever, and that she would always stick by Max and his decisions. He also knew that she expected him to do so also. He wasn't always so quick to do so though. He'd rather think things through on his own, even though he respected and was loyal to Max's decisions in the end usually. Well, as long as they weren't stupid moves and he wasn't trying to just act powerful. So he considered everything as he glanced to each of the three in front of him. Lastly, he looked to the man. Michael couldn't tell what he looked like, a hood hid his face but he felt the man was to be trusted.  
  
"Alright," Michael said finally. "I trust Maxwell, so I'll trust you." He stared at the strange man who nodded at him.  
  
Inside, Michael sighed. This is what he had always wanted. Or at least what he thought he had always wanted. But right now, he wasn't so sure. 


	2. Chapter 2

1 Title: As I Lay Me Down  
  
Author: Lauren  
  
Author Email: PaceysLilMcPhee@aol.com  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Pairing: M/M mainly, but all C/C  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell and I'm not affiliated with any of the actors. Although I do wish I knew Brendan Fehr…  
  
Summary: The aliens leave and the humans have to deal, including Maria.  
  
Author's Note: Another chapter to my story. I'm so sad! :o( I have gotten no reviews! I promise, it will get better, there will be some M/M interaction! After all, that's my whole point for writing this story! So please, read, read, read, and review, review, review! I'm begging here! And I'm not usually that type of person! But I, like most authors, live off these reviews! So, please review my story. Whenever you read another author's work, please review it, because even though you may think that you might be being repetitive with your opinion, you're not. I, for one, love to read my reviews. :o) Thanks!  
  
A/N 2: Oh, and by the way, I'm sorry this is so short! I promise the next chapter will be longer.  
  
  
  
Chapter 2  
  
  
  
The four aliens stood next to each other, still facing the oddly dressed man. The man glanced in turn to each of them before saying in parting, "Meet me here tomorrow at dusk. We shall leave then." Max nodded to the man and then at the others before turning to lead the way back to the Jeep. The girls were quick to follow but Michael hung back for an extra second. Noticing his hesitation, the man whom it seemed had sealed their fate for the rest of their life, approached him. They stood toe-to-toe before the man said anything.  
  
"Your hesitation does not go unnoticed." When Michael didn't say anything he continued. "It is obvious that of them all, you are most reluctant to leave."  
  
Michael was slightly surprised, although he wondered if he should be. He had always thought he would be the first to jump at the chance to go back to whatever planet they came from. And he told this to the man.  
  
"You have made this your home," the man responded, obviously considering his statement fact. Again, Michael was surprised and wouldn't be shocked to know that his face showed it. He had for the longest time regarded the planet he knew was out there among the stars, as his home. Starting from a young age, he had made a pact with himself to never get attached to Earth, to anything, or to anyone. It would only cause trouble later on. He had even presented Max and Isabel with his theory in an attempt to warn them. And what did he do? He got attached. He hadn't meant for it to happen. He hadn't even known it was happening until it was too late. Maria was the only one who ever made him rethink his solo pact. Maria was the only one who made him forget completely about his pact, his theory, and his self-governing law to never get attached. He cursed at himself for letting her have influence over him like that. However, as he thought about it, he didn't know what it was that he could have done in order to stop it.  
  
Michael was still thinking about Maria until the man continued. "Love is one of the few things that can connect us, forever, to a place." It was obvious the man was looking for some sort of answer as to whether this was Michael's situation, so Michael nodded in response.  
  
"This is a time for decisions. It is not a decision about whom you love more. That is a different situation all together. You must fulfill the obligations to yourself, what you wish for and what it may take to make you complete."  
  
Michael was slightly confused but he was sure he understood enough to know what this strange new man was talking about.  
  
"I need to share information in which I have not yet told the others. They have not asked. I can feel that what I am about to tell you is an answer to a question in which you are afraid to ask and that is why I am telling you now, first."  
  
Michael wasn't sure what to do so he waited for the man to continue. He didn't think there was any way for the man to know what he really wanted to ask.  
  
"It is possible to leave Earth and return to our planet. That much you know," the man said. "But, what you want to know is whether or not you can return here, from there," he added.  
  
Michael drew in a quick breath. What was with this guy? Was the guy some kind of mind reader? The man knew the question that was he had been burning to ask, not because the question was scary, but that the answer that may precede was terrifying.  
  
"I know of a way to return," the man told Michael. "I know that now it may be easier for you to follow through in the decision to leave this planet."  
  
It did in a small way make Michael feel a little bit better. He wouldn't be saying goodbye to this place forever; he could return if he wanted. He could come home to the place in which he had once viewed as temporary, like his foster home. Because he was sure the planet in which he had once regarded as his home wouldn't compare to Earth, his life and the people, here.  
  
"If I leave, can I come back any time I want? Can you do that? If I get there, and I think it sucks, can I come straight back?" Michael asked.  
  
The man nodded. "If I am willing, and I am."  
  
Michael was couldn't think of anything else he wanted to ask. It didn't really matter anyway. He would still have to make the same decision at the end of the day. Michael wasn't sure if the conversation was over, as they stood, still toe-to-toe, to each other. After a few moments of silence, Michael turned to catch up to the other three who were waiting for him back at the Jeep. He got two steps away before turning back around and looking the man in the eye.  
  
"Thanks," Michael told him.  
  
The man didn't reply, he only looked back at Michael, so Michael continued on his way back to the Jeep.  
  
"Till tomorrow," the man said in a firm voice. 


	3. Chapter 3

Title: As I Lay Me Down  
  
Author: Lauren  
  
Author Email: PaceysLilMcPhee@aol.com  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Pairing: M/M mainly, but all C/C  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell and I'm not affiliated with any of the actors. Although I do wish I knew Brendan Fehr…  
  
Summary: The aliens leave and the humans have to deal, including Maria.  
  
Author's Note: The third chapter. Enjoy. I'm hoping for more reviews. And I'll try to add more ASAP. I was going to make this chapter longer but I decided to divide this from the next part. Doesn't really make a difference, you'll read them both either way. And this way you can read this part sooner than you would have been if I had waited. (  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 3  
  
  
  
As soon as Michael jumped into the Jeep, Max turned the key and drove back to the highway, to Roswell. Everyone was silent for most of the ride until Max spoke up. "So, if we're leaving tomorrow, I guess we need to tell everyone."  
  
Isabel nodded and Tess just looked at Max, while Michael seemed to be off in his own thoughts. "We'll need to get things together, discard of anything that might leave them to suspect anything unusual about us, any artifacts. And we'll need a cover story. We can't have them thinking we were anything but what they thought."  
  
Max arrived back at the Crashdown, arriving at a slower speed then he had a few hours ago, and parked. They all leaped out and stood just outside the door, to the side, discussing what they need to do to prepare to leave, in hushed tones. Michael didn't say much until there was a lag in the conversation, a time where everything was probably sinking in for the other three.  
  
"Maxwell…do you have any idea what you're gonna tell Liz? And Kyle?" Michael asked, finishing with a look at Tess.  
  
Max turned slightly pale at the thought of telling Liz. He had no idea what to tell Liz. Well, he knew what to tell her, he just didn't know how to tell her. It wasn't exactly something he was looking forward to. Max had believed in the back of his mind that this day would never come. He knew Michael was searching for ideas about what to say to Maria. He wanted to say something that would help him but Max just didn't know what he, himself, was going to say. So he just answered him with, "The truth."  
  
Michael let out a frustrated breath. That's the main thing that had occupied his mind since he had learned that they were going home. She was the only thing he had to deal with. He could live without the other things, the apartment here in Roswell, school and such. But not Maria. Max, Isabel, and Tess were all going with him back "home." So, the only person missing was Maria. But she was going to be the hardest things to let go of.  
  
Isabel placed a hand on Michael's shoulder. "I don't think any of us know what we'd say to Liz, Kyle, or Maria until we actually have to do it, at that exact instant. It's always like that," she said softly.  
  
There was a short moment of silence before Max laid out the plan for the rest of the time they had left. "There are certain…things…we need to collect and dispose of. Anything that could be compromising. I think it'd be best to meet back with everything in a few hours so that we have the rest of our time to, you know, spend with -- them," Max said stumbling slightly over the words. It sounded like it was just all hitting him what exactly they were doing.  
  
"Good idea," Tess said. "So, where are we going to meet?"  
  
"I'll just drop by and pick up all your stuff. I know where I'm going to put it," Max answered.  
  
"Are you sure? You don't want any help or anything?" Isabel asked.  
  
Max shook his head. "No. I need to do this myself." Isabel nodded in answer; she understood. "Well, I think we should get started. We don't have much time. And I'm sure this isn't how we want to spend most of the time we have left," Max said speaking up again after a few seconds of quiet. The others nodded and Max looked to Michael and Tess. "Do either of you want to catch a ride home?"  
  
"Yeah, if you don't mind," Tess said in a distant tone. After hearing Tess' answer, Max looked to Michael who he was still waiting for a response from.  
  
"Um, no thanks. I'll walk; I'd rather walk," Michael said. The others didn't question why, they all understood. Max, Isabel and Tess climbed back into the Jeep to head back to their homes, leaving Michael in front of the Crashdown. He watched them leave before taking a step in the direction of his apartment. He needed to walk. He needed the time to think. Everything was happening and moving way too fast, he didn't need to add the Jeep into the equation. Walking home was exactly what he needed to do, for his own benefit.  
  
Tess sat watching the scenery of Roswell fly by as Max drove. As excited as she was to leave, to go home to the place that she had constantly wondered about all her life, she felt slightly uncomfortable about leaving. The only part she dreaded about having to leave was telling her adopted father and brother, Mr. Valenti and Kyle, the news. She had always known she'd be leaving eventually and they weren't clueless about that either. Tess couldn't help but feel slightly guilty though. However, she couldn't let it get in the way of what she had to do. She was leaving and that was all there was to it. She knew the same things had to have been flooding Max and Isabel's minds as she glanced at Isabel in the side mirrors.  
  
Isabel was also preoccupied. She was glad to be leaving, leaving behind pain and unpleasant memories. When she returned to their planet she'd finally be able to live a semi-normal life. Not completely normal, but at least she wouldn't have to worry about the FBI, scientists, or even worse, one of her close human friends getting hurt. Just like the last one. Isabel certainly didn't want to forget Alex; Alex was a great friend to her. Alex was there for her even when she was being her normal ice-princess self. And if she hadn't been so afraid they might have actually had something in the romance department. But it never happened. All she had was memories of him, but she was glad for them. They were wonderful memories. She just wasn't willing to stick around and wait for this to happen to another one of them, Liz, Maria, or Kyle. So not only did she want to leave, but it would probably be best in the end. She didn't want them to get hurt. Isabel knew this was slightly crazy, however she couldn't help it. Besides, either way she had to leave. She would never leave Max to fend for himself. She would stick with him every step of the way. Isabel watched as Max looked at her in the rearview mirror, smiled, and then reached over and squeezed Tess' hand lightly. Max was slightly nervous about his decision she knew; she always could tell.  
  
Max knew that Isabel recognized his thoughts. She had a way of usually being able to know what was going through his head. He also knew what was going through her head though, it wasn't hard to tell. It was going through all four of the podsters heads. Max had made a decision about leaving and knew they would all stick by it and him. He could only hope it was the right decision. Leaving Earth was not at the top of the list of things he most wanted to do but he believed there was a difference between what he wanted to do and what he needed to do. What he needed to do was get home, to their other home. It was his duty and there was no way he was going to disregard it. Max knew that leaving Earth and Liz would be one of the hardest things he would ever have to do. But he knew he had to do it. Just like he knew he would have to tell Liz in the next few hours their plans.  
  
None of them were looking forward to telling the people they loved the most that they had to leave them. 


End file.
